While Disney figures out what it wants to do with The Lone Ranger, would-be starTom Wilkinson has entered negotiations for the indie Little Boy. Directed by Alejandro Monteverde, the historical family drama follows a developmentally disabled 8-year-old brother (newcomer Jakob Salvati) and his teenage brother (David Henrie). When the boys’ father is sent off to fight in World War II, the boys must contend with the cruelty of their peers.

Wilkinson will be joining a cast that includes Ben Chaplin and Emily Watson — but not, apparently, previously announced star Kevin James, whose name was mysteriously omitted from the Variety story. While I’m happy to see Wilkinson board, I’ll be disappointed if James really is out. I haven’t been a huge fan of his previous roles, but I was actually looking forward to him trying something completely different with Little Boy.

Shooting on the project began earlier this week in Baja California (which is in Mexico, not California, if you’re not up on your southwestern geography. Seriously, people make that mistake all the time). [Cinema Blend]

After the jump, Hilary Duff and Kevin Zegers exit The Story of Bonnie and Clyde, and Chazz Palminteri goes gangster once more.